The Future of Consumerist

Over the last twelve years, Consumerist has been a steadfast proponent and voice on behalf of consumers, from exposing shady practices by secretive cable companies to pushing for action against dodgy payday lenders. Now, we’re joining forces with Consumer Reports, our parent organization, to cultivate the next generation of consumer advocacy.

Stay tuned as Consumerist’s current and future content finds its home as a part of the Consumer Reports brand. In the meantime, you can access existing Consumerist content below, and we encourage you to visit Consumer Reports to read the latest consumer news.

Would you like to have a new pair of shoes in your favorite styles sent to you every month, at a discount, without having to visit stores to try them on, or slog through online catalog pages trying to find just the right pair? Millions of women think that this is a great idea, and have joined online shoe-of-the-month clubs like JustFabulous, ShoeDazzle, and ShoeMint.

It works like this: customers choose the styles that interest them, and choose a small group of shoes in that style every month. The cost is low compared to brick-and-mortar stores and other sites, and members can skip a month occasionally when none of the offered shoes appeal to them.

One woman who has bought “dozens” of shoes through the clubs explained to the Los Angeles Times that the club isn’t just about buying shoes: it’s about bonding with other women over the need to buy large quantities of shoes. “I’ve made a lot of good friends from the shoe clubs. We keep in touch in real life: We email, we text, we call,” she explained. “We understand our love of shoes, that it’s not weird to have so many shoes, and you can never get enough.”